


changed to light with you

by dotdotmoon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Birthday Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Multi, Polyamory, Reunions, Surprises, kyungsoo doesn’t like birthdays so this isn’t very birthday-y
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28721685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotdotmoon/pseuds/dotdotmoon
Summary: Minseok has a surprise for Kyungsoo (it's not just one). Kyungsoo hopes it's not a birthday party (it's not).
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O & Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongdae | Chen, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Junmyeon | Suho, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Junmyeon | Suho
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	changed to light with you

**Author's Note:**

> this is a birthday fic for kyungsoo, and my excuse is that it’s still the 12th in some places ;;;
> 
> title from exo’s _for life_

"I'm leaving if this is a surprise party," Kyungsoo announces, and his boots sink a few millimetres into the ground, the earth beneath the asphalt reaching for him. It's a gesture of comfort, Kyungsoo knows, but he prefers not leaving traces like these.

"It's a birthday sleepover, you and me, like we used to do them as kids," Minseok says and pulls him out of the way when the door to the building opens, then crouches down. The indentations of Kyungsoo’s boots fill when he brushes a hand along the asphalt, a pristine patch of white in the slush of watery grey-brown snow. "Promise."

Although there's a trace of discomfort in Minseok’s expression when he looks up, he seems earnest enough for Kyungsoo to follow him inside and begin the long trip up the stairs.

"So whose idea was this," Kyungsoo asks when they reach the fifth floor, unable to keep the suspicion out of his voice. He trusts Minseok with his life, but neither of them are immune to their other friends' ideas.

"Mine," Minseok tells him, entirely unaffected.

Kyungsoo doesn't know how Minseok does it—he'd never leave his apartment if he lived this high up with a broken elevator, and he'd rather die alone than burden anyone else with the ascent.

"Not Chanyeol's? Or Junmyeon's?"

"No, definitely not." Minseok laughs, like the mere idea was absurd, like he still has air left to waste on laughing.

Kyungsoo just trails after him, floor for floor, kept together by nothing but stubbornness.

Minseok's apartment feels unusually warm. Kyungsoo opens the balcony door and uses the last of his strength to drag the bean bag over to collapse onto. His lungs ache, and he's sure the muscles in his legs took permanent damage. He endures Tan trampling all over his chest, says a quiet _hello_ when it curls up next to his arm, tail flicking against his cheek. The cold air streaming inside fills his lungs with a pleasantly cold burn when he takes a few deep breaths, and he looks over to Minseok kneeling next to the bean bag to pet Tan's head.

"Why does it smell like your kitchen came alive and cooked all by itself," Kyungsoo asks, leaning into the touch when Minseok cups his face, cool hands soothing against his hot cheeks.

"That would be nice," Minseok says pensively before he shifts into a squat, then pushes the bean bag and Kyungsoo along with it out of the doorway to shut the door. "The food is getting cold," he tells Kyungsoo.

It explains the smell, Kyungsoo thinks, rich and familiar like a home-cooked meal. He tries to sit up without disturbing Tan but the cat is quicker, hopping into his lap and down onto the floor before he can take a hold of it. He squints down at the tiny holes its claws left in his black pants, smooths fingertips over them with a sigh.

Minseok is already armed with a lint roller when he makes it to the kitchen table on unsteady legs, and he lets himself be rolled down until Minseok seems content.

"Sure you're not hiding everyone in the bathroom?" Kyungsoo asks as he lifts his arm for a last inspection, nodding towards the table covered in dishes big and small. He knows better, knows none of his friends could keep this quiet for long, Minseok aside. The food smells enticing, lavish, looks the part, too, and he can't help the pang of guilt, hopes Minseok didn't spend this much on his own.

"Ah," Minseok says as he stashes the lint roller away under the sink and joins him to wash his hands. "I might have lied about the surprise part? But there's no party."

The table is so full Kyungsoo can barely fit his arms anywhere, and he sits a small distance away to not accidentally tip one of the dishes over.

“These are from Chanyeol,” Minseok explains when he takes the opposite chair, points to the tteokbokki and a surprisingly big container of kimchi. "The stir-fries are Yixing's. Jongin bought all the side dishes together with Sehun. Sehun told me to send his love and make sure you know the boiled eggs are from him, too."

It's a bowl so full there must be two dozen eggs, Kyungsoo guesses, and he wonders how many of them are uncooked or overcooked. Sehun is the kind of person who could burn a boiled egg on the inside if he put his mind to it, and it makes him smile with fondness.

"Baekhyun bought you new bowls, said your favourites all were chipped," Minseok continues, "I made the ramen and bought the meat."

"The cake is Junmyeon's?" Kyungsoo asks. He's not sure he's reading the message on it correctly, but it's a little hard to see through the tears when the fondness he holds for his friends grows into a suffocating tenderness. It didn't take more than one remark, and they all honoured it, still found ways to work around his wish not to celebrate. He lifts his glasses to rub at his eyes, smiles at Minseok sitting across from him, soft and open and patient. Kyungsoo clears his throat. "Is there rice?”

Minseok looks around the table in alarm, then tenses with embarrassment. “We—I don’t have any in the house.”

The sound of his doorbell pierces into Kyungsoo’s laughter, and he meets eyes with Minseok.

"Get the door for me?" Minseok says and points to Tan who didn’t miss a chance to be idle in comfort and smuggled itself onto his lap.

"Delivery?" Kyungsoo asks.

"You could say that."

"This late?" There's a series of knocks at the door now, so he hurries into the hallway, grabs Minseok's wallet from the shelf, opens the door with a frown.

"Hello," Jongdae says, like he has any right to be here, looking fresh, like he’d floated up the stairs to the twenty-secondth floor.

Jongdae bridges Kyungsoo’s speechlessness, the distance of two years of mostly phone calls, of the past three months of not seeing each other easily with a hug, just as firm and warm as Kyungsoo remembers them to be.

"I _hate_ surprises," Kyungsoo says into his shoulder, bumping a fist into Jongdae’s shoulder blade with barely any force. He feels exhausted, drained in all the best ways, like an empty jug waiting for a refill of fresh juice. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“They’re not taking me back,” Jongdae says and laughs into his hair where it sticks, hopefully forever.

“Maybe I’ll have to take you back. Maybe you forgot how to be my boyfriend,” Kyungsoo says.

“I had a lot of time to think about how to be a better one for you,” Jongdae tells him and tightens his arms around Kyungsoo, like he fears Kyungsoo would try to slip away.

It’s the opposite, really. Still, Kyungsoo says, “Your room isn’t done.”

“As long as it has a door, I’ll take it.”

"I'm having a sleepover with Minseok tonight," Kyungsoo tries. “I—want to do that, still. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

"I've always wanted to try Minseok's new couch," Jongdae replies.

“Can’t win with you.”

“No,” Jongdae says and Kyungsoo can taste the grin on his face just from his tone. “You really can’t.”

They hold onto each other for a moment longer, until Kyungsoo feels a small sense of understanding trickle into his mind: Jongdae is back for good.

“Join us for dinner,” Minseok calls from the kitchen, probably still pinned down by Tan, maybe simply staying behind in a gesture of decency.

“Sure will,” Jongdae yells back and he pulls his luggage inside, an entire life crammed into a suitcase and a backpack, kicks the door closed behind him. He takes Kyungsoo by the hand then, his grip warm and firm, too, and bends over to pick up the wallet Kyungsoo must have dropped earlier.

"Everyone brought food but they forgot the rice," Kyungsoo notes as they slowly walk to the kitchen. It's only a handful of steps, only a few drawn out moments, but Kyungsoo sinks into a daze of reacquainting himself with Jongdae, finds himself falling into old patterns, mapping out new ones. Kyungsoo thinks he won't be able to stop looking at Jongdae for a long while, and he finds the same hunger on Jongdae's face when their gazes meet.

"Sounds like the end of the world to me,” Jongdae says.

“I think Junmyeon’s cake told me to die.”

“It definitely does,” Minseok calls.

Jongdae pulls Kyungsoo back by his hand before they reach the kitchen, kisses him against the wall, warm and firm, just like Kyungsoo likes him. He laughs when Kyungsoo swats at his shoulder for the small sparks still clinging to Jongdae’s lips when they part.

“Does Junmyeon know?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Let’s tell him tomorrow, if we survive the cake,” Jongdae says, and Kyungsoo lets go of him so he can give Minseok one of his electric hugs, steal Kyungsoo’s chair and let Kyungsoo have all evening to watch him take root in his life once more.

**Author's Note:**

> the cake is a reference to junmyeon’s exomentary. i’m sorry i just had to. also yes junmyeon is both of their boyfriend although it’s not very explicit here? also also jongdae went away to some kind of power training camp that everyone else absolved earlier in their life but you’re free to think of it as whatever else.
> 
> thank you for reading, please let me know how it made you feel!!
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/dotdotmoon) | [listography](https://listography.com/dotdotmoon) (up-to-date wip list)


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